With trends like candid photography, pre-wedding shoots and cinematic wedding videos going viral, every bride and groom want to look picture perfect in the run-up to their wedding. Treatments like smile reconstruction, smile correction and teeth whitening before the big day are the newest fad.
Dr Kshama Chandan, a BDS and MDS in Prosthodontics is a perfectionist with an eye for structure and order and creates beautiful smiles. With her best knowledge, passion and talent, the cosmetic dental surgeon uses the latest techniques to artistically transform the smiles of her clients. In an exclusive tête-à-tête with her, Dr Chandan reveals it all about a pre-wedding dental spa, the treatment modalities and various options available.
Check out the interview below.
Q: With pre-wedding shoots, wedding trailers and couple shoots in trend, we're seeing brides getting more conscious about their looks. Do you see a rise in brides to be approaching you before D-Day?
A: Of course. On the wedding day, all eyes are on the happy couple as they tie the knot. It's one of the most photographed and cherished moments in their life, and it is customary that brides and grooms want to look their best for their trip down the aisle. For many brides-to-be, improving their smile has become yet another must on the pre-wedding checklist, like getting the perfect outfit, jewellery or a good makeup artist and hairstylist. A bright white and healthy smile goes a long way towards helping couples look their best.
That's where we step in to ensure a flawless smile for the D-Day. I have seen an increasing number of patients looking for cosmetic dental treatment to boost their smile on their big day whether it's just a simple teeth whitening treatment or more extensive cosmetic dental work.
While there is no such thing as a "perfect" smile, and plenty of women are embracing this fact of what makes their teeth uniquely theirs with gaps, stains and malalignment, there's also nothing wrong with pursuing a cosmetic procedure to make a change either.
Q: What is exactly a smile makeover?
A: Many people don't realise how important an attractive smile is to their personal and professional lives. Having a beautiful smile isn't just about how you look but more about how you feel.
A pleasing smile can make or break an interaction. Be it success, creating a positive first impression, finding more romance in your life or becoming popular in your social circle, a perfect smile boosts your confidence and personifies individual identity.
A smile makeover or a smile design is basically a dental procedure which artistically creates a straighter, whiter and beautiful natural-looking smile. Smile designing can do wonders to fully restore your dental health and to give you a flawless pleasing smile.
Q: If I'm unhappy about my yellow teeth or crooked teeth, am I a candidate for dental/cosmetic correction?
A: Anyone having chipped, cracked, crooked, missing or worn out teeth is a candidate for smile designing. It's not necessary that only celebrities or people in the glam world get a smile makeover done. It could be anyone with an unhappy smile.
Q: Besides brides and grooms, are other family members also undergoing such dental treatments?
A: Absolutely. A lot of times I have seen brides, grooms, bridesmaids, the best man and their immediate family coming in for a smile analysis and cosmetic correction before the wedding day.
Q: For how many times, a person should visit for correction and consultation before the wedding day?
A: Consultation should take place at least three weeks before the wedding. The makeover could go from improving your smile with composite tooth coloured restorations, receiving dental veneers, teeth and gum contouring or just getting a basic whitening. If you need ceramic caps, laminates or more intensive cosmetic work for damaged, chipped, missing or decayed teeth, you must visit your dentist at least five to six weeks before the wedding.
Q: For how long does the treatment last?
A: A teeth whitening procedure should last for about 6 months depending on your habits. Drinking large amounts of tea or coffee, smoking and intake of paan or other forms of tobacco can interfere with the bleach. Proper care and maintenance is a must, whereas ceramic crowns and veneers can last from 7 years to 15 years, subject to proper care.
Q: What exactly is a 'bridal dental spa' and what is the overall bouquet of services you offer for brides-to-be and grooms-to-be?
A: A bridal dental spa is a series of packages tailor-made for every bride to be and groom to be ahead of their wedding. Teeth whitening is the most common procedure carried out before the wedding as the colour has always been the number one concern for brides and grooms to be who want to have a white brighter looking smile.Other more common procedures are porcelain veneers, all-ceramic crowns and Invisalign. A smile analysis is done, and the services offered are subjective to individual requirements and needs.
Q: What according to you is a lifestyle change that people should adopt to ensure these perfect smiles last for a longer time?
A: A basic oral maintenance hygiene regimen should be adopted. Brush twice a day and use the correct brushing technique with the right brush. Besides this, floss regularly and use a mouthwash to flush off all the debris. Keep a safe distance from food and drinks that stain your teeth.
Deeply pigmented beverages such as soda, coffee, dark tea, and red wine can stain teeth, as can foods like blueberries, cherries, and soy sauce. Avoid alcohol as it can roughen the tooth enamel and make your smile more susceptible to stains.
Q: How much of a before and after impact have you seen in the brides after the treatment?
A: It is without any doubt, life-changing. I am blessed to have the opportunity to transform lives daily, perform life-changing procedures, see people smile confidently and help alleviate their fears. It all makes the hard work so worthwhile.
